JP7561597B2 - Operation mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an operating mechanism at a gas station that supplies gasoline, diesel, etc. to vehicles, a hydrogen station that supplies hydrogen gas to vehicles, and an EV station that charges electricity to vehicles.

As shown in Fig. 7, a typical gas station generally designated by reference numeral 40 includes a gas station 44 provided on an island 42 in a gas station area 41, a gas station sales device 45 constituting a POS terminal and disposed inside an office building 43 or the like within the site of the gas station 40, and an external machine 50 for an operator or user to operate the gas station. When an operator or user inputs instructions for gas station refueling into the external machine 50, the instructions are transmitted via a signal transmission line L50 to the gas station sales device 45 constituting a POS terminal, and an instruction signal for operation is transmitted from the gas station sales device 45 to the gas station 44 via a line L45. After gas station refueling is completed, the gas station sales device 44 transmits gas station refueling data to the gas station sales device 45, which then performs a predetermined settlement process.
At such gas stations, it is necessary to touch and operate a panel provided on the external machine 50 to make payments by cash or card, select the type of fuel (e.g., gasoline or diesel) to be supplied to a vehicle, and input the quantity and amount.
In the conventional external machine 50, a touch panel using a resistive film is often used as a device for displaying the contents of an operation, and whether or not a panel button on the touch panel has been pressed is detected.

However, touch panels that use resistive films require users to touch the touch panel, which means that during periods of infectious disease epidemics, there is a risk of infection spreading through touch panels that are touched by an unspecified number of people.
In other prior art, a technology has been proposed that allows payment of fees regardless of the type of card used at gas stations equipped with a gas station sales device that constitutes the input terminal of the POS system (see Patent Document 1), but this is not intended to solve the problems mentioned above.

JP 2001-354298 A

The present invention was proposed in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide an operating mechanism for gas stations that does not require a touch panel that is touched by an unspecified number of people and can prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

The operation mechanism (10) of the present invention includes a non-contact display (1) for operating an image displayed in a space,
The non-contact display (1) includes a display device (2: for example, a liquid crystal display) that displays information necessary for operation, a non-contact sensor (3) that detects the movement of the distance between the display device and the operator's fingertip in a non-contact manner, and a 3D plate (4) that has a function of displaying an image in the space between the display device and the operator,
A camera (8) is provided for recognizing the face of an operator,
A visor portion (6: canopy) is disposed in an area above the 3D plate (4), and a drive device (7: canopy motor: for example, an electric motor) is provided for adjusting the inclination angle of the canopy portion (6) relative to a horizontal plane,
The device is characterized by having a control device (11) having a function of determining the position (vertical position) of the operator's face from the image data of the camera (8), a function of determining the inclination angle of the display device (2) with respect to the horizontal plane from the determined position of the operator's face, and a function of transmitting a control signal for rotating forward or backward the drive device (5: for example, an electric motor) that adjusts the inclination angle of the display device (2) in accordance with the determined inclination angle.
In the present invention, it is preferable to include a touch display (21: a normal touch panel or the like) that is touched by the fingers of an operator (user: operator or user).
The operating mechanism (10) of the present invention may be provided in the external machine (50) or in the oil supply device (44).

The operating mechanism (20) of the present invention further comprises:
The display includes a touch display (21: a normal touch panel or the like) that is touched by the fingers of an operator (user: operator or user),
A non-contact display (1) for manipulating an image displayed in a space,
The non-contact display (1) includes a display device (2: for example, a liquid crystal display) that displays information necessary for operation, a non-contact sensor (3) that detects the movement of the distance between the display device and the operator's fingertip in a non-contact manner, and a 3D plate (4) that has a function of displaying an image in the space between the display device and the operator,
A rainwater detection means (9: rainwater detection sensor) is provided,
The device is characterized by the provision of a control device (11) having a function of stopping the display on the non-contact display (1) and accepting only operations via the contact display (21) when it is determined that there is a risk of malfunction due to rain or snow detected by the rainwater detection means (9).
In the present invention, it is also preferable to arrange an eave portion (6: eaves) in the region above the 3D plate (4) and to have a drive device (7: eave portion motor: for example, an electric motor) for adjusting the inclination angle of the eave portion (6) relative to the horizontal plane.

In the present invention, it is preferable to have a drive device (5: display device motor: for example, an electric motor) for adjusting the inclination angle of the display device (2) with respect to the horizontal plane.

Also, a camera (8) is provided for recognizing the face of the operator,
It is preferable to have a control device (11) having a function of determining the position (vertical position) of the operator's face from the image data of the camera (8), a function of determining the inclination angle of the eaves portion (6) with respect to the horizontal plane from the determined position of the operator's face, and a function of transmitting a control signal to rotate forward or backward the drive device (7: for example, an electric motor) that adjusts the inclination angle of the eaves portion (6) in response to the determined inclination angle.

When implementing the present invention, when placing a contact display (21) that is contacted by the operator's fingers, the contact display (21) and the non-contact display (1) can be placed adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction, or the contact display (21) and the non-contact display (1) can be placed adjacent to each other in the vertical direction.

According to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, a non-contact display (1) is provided for manipulating images displayed in space, and operations related to refueling can be performed by manipulating the images displayed in space. This eliminates the need for the operator (user: operator or user) to touch the display, making it possible to prevent the contraction and spread of infectious diseases caused by touching the display.
Here, if the device is configured to have a contact display (21) (such as a normal touch panel) that the operator's fingers can contact in addition to the non-contact display (1), a user who feels uncomfortable operating the non-contact display (1) can use the contact display (21) to perform refueling operations.

Here, when the non-contact display (1) includes a display device (2: for example, a liquid crystal display) that displays information necessary for operation, a non-contact sensor (3) that detects the movement of the distance from the operator's fingertip (for example, the position of the fingertip, the direction of movement, and the distance moved) in a non-contact manner, and a 3D plate (4) that has the function of displaying an image in the space between the display device and the operator, the vertical viewing angle is narrow, so the range in which the image displayed in the space between the display device (2) and the operator is easy to see is limited.
That is, in order to display a clear image in the space between the display device (2) and the operator, it is necessary to delicately change the inclination angle of the display device (2) with respect to the horizontal plane in accordance with the height of the operator's face, and the inclination angle for displaying a clear image is limited to a narrow range. Therefore, depending on the height of the operator's face, there are cases where the image is not displayed clearly in the space between the display device (2) and the operator. If the image is not displayed clearly in the space between the display device (2) and the operator, a tall operator needs to bend his knees deeply to lower the position of his face, and a short operator needs to stand on his tiptoes, which puts a burden on the operator, such as making him feel tired. In particular, in the case of an operator using a wheelchair, it is difficult to change the height position of the face, and there is a risk that the operator is forced to operate in a state where the image is unclear.
In contrast, in the present invention, a drive device (5: motor for display device: for example, an electric motor) for adjusting the inclination angle of the display device (2) with respect to the horizontal plane and a camera (8) for recognizing the operator's face are provided, and a control device (11) determines the position (vertical position) of the operator's face from the image data of the camera (8), determines the inclination angle of the display device (2) with respect to the horizontal plane from the determined position of the operator's face, and transmits a control signal to rotate forward or backward the drive device (5: for example, an electric motor) which adjusts the inclination angle of the display device (2) in accordance with the inclination angle. This allows the drive device (5: motor for display device) to adjust the inclination angle of the display device (2) with respect to the horizontal plane in accordance with the height position of the operator's face, making it possible to always display a clear image in the space between the display device (2) and the operator.
Therefore, the operator does not feel any burden, and even an operator who uses a wheelchair can operate the device while viewing a clear image.

In addition, in the case where the non-contact display (1) includes a display device (2) that displays information necessary for operation, a non-contact sensor (3) that detects the movement of the distance between the operator's fingertip without contact, and a 3D plate (4) that has the function of displaying an image in the space between the display device (2) and the operator, depending on the direction of the sun and the installation mode of the refueling device, sunlight may irradiate the space between the display device and the operator, making it difficult to see the image displayed in the space between the display device (2) and the operator.
In contrast, in the present invention, a eaves portion (6) is provided in the area above the 3D plate (4), a drive device (7) for adjusting the inclination angle of the eaves portion (6) relative to the horizontal plane, and a camera (8) for recognizing the face of the operator. A control device (11) determines the position (vertical position) of the operator's face from the image data of the camera (8), determines the inclination angle of the eaves portion (6) relative to the horizontal plane from the determined position of the operator's face, and transmits a control signal to rotate forward or backward the drive device (7) which adjusts the inclination angle of the eaves portion (6) in accordance with the determined inclination angle. By blocking the sunlight with the eaves portion (6), it is possible to prevent sunlight from irradiating the space between the display device (2) and the operator, thereby preventing the displayed image from becoming difficult to see.

Furthermore, if rainwater or snow gets into the space between the display device (2) of the non-contact display (1) and the operator, the non-contact sensor (1) may detect the water droplets or snowflakes, which may result in malfunction, such as mistaking them for the movement of the operator's fingertips and displaying them.
In order to avoid such a situation, in the present invention, a rainwater detection means (9: rainwater detection sensor) is provided, and the control device (11) is configured to stop displaying the non-contact display (1) and accept only operations via the contact display (21) when it determines that there is a risk of malfunction due to rain or snow detected by the rainwater detection means (9). In this way, when there is a high possibility of malfunction due to water droplets or snowflakes, that is, when the weather is unsuitable for using the non-contact display (1), the control device will sense this, closely monitor the use of the non-contact display (1), and only accept operations via the contact display (21), thereby preventing the above-mentioned malfunction.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a main portion of FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main portion of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control device in the illustrated embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a control in the illustrated embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing another control process in the illustrated embodiment, which is different from that shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional gas station.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1, an external installation machine 100 has an operation mechanism 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The operation mechanism 20 includes a non-contact display 1 for performing operations on an image displayed in space, and a contact display 21 (such as a normal touch panel) that is touched by the fingers of an operator (user: operator or user). In the illustrated embodiment, a refueling operation can be performed by operating only the non-contact display 1 without touching the contact display 21.
Although not clearly shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the operation mechanism 20 having the non-contact display 1 can be provided not only in the outdoor machine 100 but also in the fuel supply device 44 (see FIG. 7).
Although the illustrated embodiment includes the operation mechanism 20 having both the non-touch display 1 and the contact display 21, it is also possible to configure the operation mechanism 10 to have only the non-touch display 1 and not the contact display 21. In the attached drawings, the operation mechanism 10 having only the non-touch display 1 is not illustrated.

The non-contact display 1 includes a non-contact sensor 3, a display device 2 (see FIG. 3: for example, a liquid crystal display), and a 3D plate 4 (see FIG. 3). The non-contact display 1 will be described later with reference to FIG.
1, the contact display 21 is disposed adjacent to and vertically above the non-contact display 1. The contact display 21 is provided with a printer 22 for printing slips and the like, a QR reader 23, a prepaid card reader 24, a card reader 25 for credit cards, an RFID reader 26, and operation lamps 27 (three locations). The printer 22, QR reader 23, and other devices are used (shared) both when operating with the contact display 21 and when operating with the non-contact display 1.
Although not shown, the non-contact display 1 and the contact display 21 can also be disposed adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction.

In FIG. 1, the operation mechanism 20 includes a camera 8 that recognizes the operator's face, and a control device 11 (C.U.), with the camera 8 and control device 11 connected by a signal line SL1. The control device 11 determines the position of the operator's face (vertical position) from the image data of the camera 8, and from the determined position of the operator's face, determines the tilt angle of the display device 2 (FIG. 3) with respect to the horizontal plane, the tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 (FIG. 3) with respect to the horizontal plane, and the tilt angle of the visor portion 6 (FIG. 2) with respect to the horizontal plane. The determination of these tilt angles will be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

In FIG. 2, which shows a side view of the essential parts of FIG. 1, the entire non-contact display 1 (the display device 2, the non-contact sensor 3, and the 3D plate 4: see FIG. 3) is surrounded by a cover 12, and the end face of the operating mechanism of the cover 12 facing the operator (the end face on the left side in FIG. 2) is open.
A visor portion 6 extending obliquely upward is provided near the upper end of the end face of the cover 12 on the operator side (left side in FIG. 2), and a visor portion drive device 7 (e.g., an electric motor) is provided near the point where the visor portion 6 is attached to the cover 12. The visor portion drive device 7 has the function of varying and adjusting the inclination angle of the visor portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane.
The eaves driving device 7 is connected to the control device 11 via a signal line SL2.

Non-contact display 1, which includes a display device 2 (e.g., a liquid crystal display), a non-contact sensor 3, and a 3D plate 4, may, depending on the direction of the sun, the installation position of the refueling device, and the orientation (installation direction) of non-contact display 1, cause sunlight to shine between the display device 2 and the operator, making it difficult to see the image displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator.
In order to suppress such disturbances due to sunlight, in the illustrated embodiment, the inclination angle of the eaves portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane is adjusted (automatically controlled).
Once the installation position and installation direction of the fueling device are determined, the angle (tilt angle with respect to the horizontal plane) at which the eaves portion 6 can block the sunlight irradiation is immediately determined because the irradiation direction and irradiation angle of the sunlight are constant depending on the date and time. Furthermore, the angle at which the eaves portion 6 can block the sunlight irradiation differs depending on the position of the operator's face (upward/downward position). Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the position of the operator's face is detected from the video data of the camera 8 (FIG. 1), and further, based on the sunlight irradiation conditions depending on the date and time, the control device 11 calculates the tilt angle of the eaves portion with respect to the horizontal plane (the angle at which the eaves portion 6 can block the sunlight irradiation). Control of the tilt angle of the eaves portion 6 will also be described later with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

2, a rainwater detection means 9 is provided on the end surface on the operator side (left side in FIG. 2) of the cover 12 that covers the non-contact display 1. The rainwater detection means 9 includes a rainwater receiving portion 9A and a rainwater detection sensor 9B. The rainwater detection sensor 9B of the rainwater detection means 9 and the control device 11 are connected by a signal line SL3.
If water droplets or snow get into the space between the operator and the display device 2 (FIG. 3) in the non-contact display 1, the non-contact sensor 1 may detect the water droplets or snowflakes, and may cause malfunctions such as mistaking them for the movement of the operator's fingertip and displaying them. In order to prevent such malfunctions, the illustrated embodiment is provided with a rainwater detection means 9, which is configured to stop the display on the non-contact display 1 and accept only operations via the contact display 21 when it is determined that there is a high possibility of malfunction occurring due to rain or snow hitting the contact display 1.
The control by the rainwater detection means 9 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

3, the non-contact display 1 includes a display device 2 (e.g., a liquid crystal display) that displays information necessary for operation, a non-contact sensor 3 that detects the movement of the operator's (user's) fingertip (position of the fingertip, moving direction, moving distance, etc.) in a non-contact manner, and a 3D plate 4 that has the function of displaying an image in the space between the display device 2 and the operator. Reference numeral 14 denotes a support member for the display device 2.
In the non-contact display 1 shown in FIG. 3, the vertical viewing angle is narrow, and the range in which an image displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator can be easily viewed is limited.
In the illustrated embodiment, a display device driver 5 (display device motor) for adjusting the tilt angle of the display device 2 relative to the horizontal plane is provided on a support member 14 near the mounting portion of the display device 2. Then, the control device 11 determines the position (vertical position) of the operator's face from the image data of the camera 8 (FIG. 1), calculates the optimal tilt angle of the display device 2 relative to the horizontal plane from the determined position of the operator's face, and transmits a control signal for rotating the display device motor 5 forward or backward according to the tilt angle. In this way, the tilt angle of the display device 2 relative to the horizontal plane is adjusted so that the image displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator is easily viewed.
The display motor 5 is connected to the control device 11 via a signal line SL4.

In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to adjusting the inclination angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane, the inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane can be adjusted.
3, a non-contact sensor driver 13 (non-contact sensor motor) is provided near the attachment portion of the non-contact sensor 3, and the control device 11 determines the position (vertical position) of the operator's face from the image data of the camera 8 (FIG. 1), and determines the optimal tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane (optimal tilt angle for operation by the non-contact display 1) from the determined position of the operator's face. Then, a control signal for rotating the non-contact sensor motor 13 forward or backward corresponding to the determined tilt angle is transmitted from the control device 11, thereby adjusting the tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane to the optimal angle.
The inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane and the inclination angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane are correlated, and the two are controlled in relation to each other. The correlation between the inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane and the inclination angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane is stored in, for example, the control device 11.
The non-contact sensor motor 13 and the control device 11 are connected by a signal line SL5.

Figure 4, which is a functional block diagram of the control device 11, shows a configuration for adjusting the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane of each of the display device 2 and non-contact sensor 3 that constitute the non-contact display 1 of the illustrated embodiment, adjusting the inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane of the eaves portion 6, and further showing the function of stopping the display of the non-contact display 1 based on the water droplet detection result of the rainwater detection means 9.
4, the control device 11 has a face height calculation block 11A. For control of adjusting the inclination angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane, the control device 11 has a display device angle calculation block 11B, a display device motor rotation angle determination block 11C, and a display device motor control signal generation block 11D.
The control device 11 also has a non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E, a non-contact sensor motor rotation angle determination block 11F, and a non-contact sensor motor control signal generation block 11G for controlling adjustment of the inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane.
Furthermore, the control device 11 has a eaves angle calculation block 11H, a eaves motor rotation angle determination block 11I, a eaves motor control signal generation block 11J, and a memory block 11K for control of adjusting the inclination angle of the eaves portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane.
In addition, the control device 11 has a non-contact display stop judgment block 11L.

The face height calculation block 11A has the function of acquiring image data of the operator's face from the camera 8 via the signal line SL1, and calculating and determining the position of the operator's face (height position in the vertical direction).
The "height of the operator's face" calculated and determined in the face height calculation block 11A is transmitted to the display device angle calculation block 11B via signal line SL6, transmitted to the non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E via signal line SL7, and transmitted to the eaves angle calculation block 11H via signal line SL8.

The display device angle calculation block 11B has a function of calculating and determining the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" based on the "height of the operator's face" acquired from the face height calculation block 11A. As described above, the non-contact display 1 has a narrow vertical viewing angle, and the range in which an image displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator is easily viewable is limited, and the easy-to-view range varies depending on the "height of the operator's face." A correlation exists between the easy-to-view range of the non-contact display 1, the "height of the operator's face," and the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane," and this correlation is recorded in advance in the display device angle calculation block 11B. Based on this correlation, the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" at which the non-contact display 1 is easily viewable for the "height of the operator's face" is determined.
Although not clearly shown, the correlation may be stored in memory block 11K, and the correlation may be transmitted from memory block 11K to display device angle calculation block 11B in response to a request signal from display device angle calculation block 11B.
The "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" calculated and determined by the display device angle calculation block 11B is transmitted to the display device motor rotation angle determination block 11C via a signal line SL9. It is also transmitted to the non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E, although not shown.
The display device motor rotation angle determination block 11C has the function of calculating and determining the "rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the display device motor 5 required to adjust to the inclination angle" based on the "inclination angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" obtained from the display device angle calculation block 11B.

The "rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the display motor 5 required to adjust to the inclination angle" calculated and determined in the display motor rotation angle determination block 11C is transmitted to the display motor control signal generation block 11D via the signal line SL10.
The display motor control signal generating block 11D has the function of generating a control signal for the display motor 5 based on the "rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the display motor 5 required to adjust to the inclination angle" obtained from the display motor rotation angle determining block 11C.
The control signal from the display motor control signal generating block 11D is transmitted to the display motor 5 via a signal line SL4.

The non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E has a function of calculating and determining the "tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane" based on the "height of the operator's face" acquired from the face height calculation block 11A. There is a correlation between the ease of operation of the non-contact sensor 3, the optimal tilt angle (tilt angle with respect to the horizontal plane) for operation by the non-contact display 1, and the "height of the operator's face", and based on this correlation, an angle (tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane) at which operation is easy with the non-contact sensor 3 is determined for the "height of the operator's face". As described above, since there is a correlation between the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" and the "tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane", the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" determined by the display device angle calculation block 11B is also transmitted to the non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E and used as a parameter for determining the "tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane". The correlation may be stored in the non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E, or it may be transmitted from the storage block 11K.
The "inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane" calculated and determined in the non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E is transmitted to the non-contact sensor motor rotation angle determination block 11F via a signal line SL11.
The non-contact sensor motor rotation angle determination block 11F has the function of calculating and determining the "amount of rotation (angle of rotation: forward or reverse) of the non-contact sensor motor 13 required to adjust to the inclination angle" based on the "inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane" obtained from the non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E.

The "rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the non-contact sensor motor 13 required to adjust to the inclination angle" calculated and determined in the non-contact sensor motor rotation angle determination block 11F is transmitted to the non-contact sensor motor control signal generation block 11G via the signal line SL12.
The non-contact sensor motor control signal generating block 11G has the function of generating a control signal for the non-contact sensor motor 13 based on the "rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the non-contact sensor motor 13 required to adjust to the inclination angle" obtained from the non-contact sensor motor rotation angle determination block 11F.
The control signal from the non-contact sensor motor control signal generation block 11G is transmitted to the non-contact sensor motor 13 via a signal line SL5.

In Figure 4, the memory block 11K has the function of storing data regarding the irradiation of sunlight on the non-contact display 1 for each date and time, as data necessary when adjusting the inclination angle of the eaves portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane, for each installation mode of the refueling device (the installation location of the operating mechanism 20, the orientation of the operating mechanism 20, etc.).
The eaves angle calculation block 11H has a function of acquiring data on the irradiation of sunlight on the non-contact display 1 from the memory block 11K via the signal line SL14, and calculating (adjusting) the "tilt angle of the eaves 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" so that the eaves 6 blocks the sunlight irradiating the non-contact display 1. That is, since the amount and direction of sunlight irradiated on the non-contact display 1 differ depending on the installation mode, date (season), and time, the "tilt angle of the eaves 6 with respect to the horizontal plane", which is the angle at which the eaves 6 extends, is determined so that the eaves 6 blocks the sunlight irradiating the non-contact display 1, based on the data on the irradiation of sunlight on the non-contact display 1 recorded in the memory block 11K. This is to prevent the eaves 6 from obstructing the view of the image displayed between the display device 2 and the operator from the position of the operator's face.
At the same time, the eaves angle calculation block 11H calculates the "tilt angle of the eaves 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" based on the "height of the operator's face" obtained from the face height calculation block 11A, and further adjusts the "tilt angle of the eaves 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" adjusted based on the installation mode and data related to sunlight irradiation, based on the calculation result. Whether or not sunlight irradiation impedes the visibility of the image displayed in the space between the display device 2 on the non-contact display 1 and the operator depends on the position of the operator's face. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether or not the eaves 6 is blocking the visibility of the space between the display device 2 and the operator.
The "inclination angle of the eaves portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" calculated and determined in the eaves portion angle calculation block 11H is transmitted to the eaves portion motor rotation angle determination block 11I via a signal line SL13.

The eaves motor rotation angle determination block 11I has the function of calculating and determining the "rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the eaves motor 7 required to adjust to the inclination angle" based on the "inclination angle of the eaves 6 relative to the horizontal plane" obtained from the eaves angle calculation block 11H.
The "rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the eaves motor 7 required to adjust to the inclination angle" calculated and determined in the eaves motor rotation angle determination block 11I is transmitted to the eaves motor control signal generation block 11J via signal line SL15.
The eaves motor control signal generating block 11J has the function of generating a control signal for the eaves motor 7 based on the ``rotation angle (forward or reverse) of the eaves motor 7 required to adjust to the inclination angle'' obtained from the eaves motor rotation angle determination block 11I.
The control signal from the eaves motor control signal generating block 11J is transmitted to the eaves motor 7 via a signal line SL2.

4, the non-contact display stop judgment block 11L acquires the water droplet detection result from the rainwater detection sensor 9B (FIG. 2) of the rainwater detection means 9 via the signal line SL3. Then, when it is judged from the water droplet detection result from the rainwater detection sensor 9B that there is a possibility that the non-contact display 1 may malfunction due to raindrops or snowflakes, it has a function of judging to stop the display of the non-contact display 1 and generating a control signal for the non-contact display 1. In such a case, it also has a function of making it so that only operations by the contact display 21 are accepted.
The control signal from the non-contact display stop judgment block 11L is transmitted to the non-contact display 1 via a signal line SL16.

Mainly with reference to FIG. 5, a description will be given of control for adjusting the inclination angles of the display device 2 and the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane, and the inclination angle of the eaves portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane.
In step S1, the "height position of the operator's face" is calculated based on the image captured by the camera 8. This calculation is executed by the face height calculation block 11A of the control device 11.
Steps S2 to S4 in Figure 5 are processes for controlling the inclination angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane, steps S5 to S7 are processes for controlling the inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane, and steps S8 to S10 are processes for controlling the inclination angle of the eave portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane.

In step S2, the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" is calculated based on the "height position of the operator's face" calculated in step S1. This calculation is executed by the display device angle calculation block 11B. Then, the process proceeds to step S3.
In step S3, the display motor 5 is driven and rotated (forward or reverse) based on the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" calculated in step S2, and the rotation angle of the display motor 5 is determined so as to obtain the calculated "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane", i.e., the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" that makes the image displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator clear in accordance with the height position of the operator's face, and the display motor 5 is rotated by an amount of rotation corresponding to the rotation angle. This control is executed by the display motor rotation angle determination block 11C and the display motor control signal generation block 11D. Then, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, it is determined whether or not the adjustments of the "tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane" corresponding to the "height position of the operator's face", the "tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane", and the "tilt angle of the visor 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" have all been completed. By completing all of the adjustments of the tilt angles of the display device 2, the non-contact sensor 3, and the visor 6 with respect to the horizontal plane, the adjustments required for making the image displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator on the non-contact display 1 clear are completed.
As a result of the judgment in step S4, if the adjustments of the inclination angles of the display device 2, non-contact sensor 3, and eaves portion 6 relative to the horizontal plane have all been adjusted (step S4 is "Yes"), the control is terminated, and if all have not been adjusted (step S4 is "No"), the control is continued until the adjustments of the inclination angles of the display device 2, non-contact sensor 3, and eaves portion 6 relative to the horizontal plane have all been adjusted.

5, in step S5, the "tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane" is calculated based on the "height position of the operator's face" calculated in step S1. This calculation is executed by the non-contact sensor angle calculation block 11E. Then, the process proceeds to step S6.
In step S6, based on the "tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane" calculated in step S5, the motor 13 for the non-contact sensor is driven and rotated (forward or reverse) to adjust it to the calculated "tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane" (the tilt angle corresponding to the height position of the operator's face).
This control is executed by the non-contact sensor motor rotation angle decision block 11F and the non-contact sensor motor control signal generation block 11G.Then, the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, similar to step S4, it is determined whether adjustments to the "tilt angle relative to the horizontal plane" corresponding to the "height position of the operator's face" have been made for the display device 2, non-contact sensor 3, and visor portion 6.
As a result of the judgment in step S7, if all have been adjusted (step S7 is "Yes"), the control is terminated, and if all have not been adjusted (step S7 is "No"), the control is continued until the inclination angles of the display device 2, non-contact sensor 3, and eaves portion 6 are all adjusted.

In Figure 5, in step S8, data regarding the irradiation of sunlight on the non-contact display 1 is received from memory block 11K (Figure 4), and the "tilt angle of the eaves portion 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" is adjusted (calculated) so that the eaves portion 6 blocks the sunlight and prevents the image displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator on the non-contact display 1 from becoming unclear due to irradiation of sunlight.
At the same time, the "angle of inclination of the eaves 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" is calculated from the "height position of the operator's face" calculated in step S1, and it is determined whether or not the image displayed between the display device 2 and the operator is obstructed by the eaves 6 at the "angle of inclination of the eaves 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" adjusted based on the sunlight (the angle of inclination is readjusted as necessary). This calculation is executed by the eaves angle calculation block 11H. Then, the process proceeds to step S9.

In step S9, the visor motor 7 is driven and rotated (forward or reverse) based on the "inclination angle of the visor 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" calculated in step S8, and adjusted to the calculated "inclination angle of the visor 6 with respect to the horizontal plane" (i.e., the inclination angle corresponding to the height position of the operator's face). This control is executed by the visor motor rotation angle determination block 11I and the visor motor control signal generation block 11J. Then, the process proceeds to step S10.
In step S10, similar to steps S4 and S7, it is determined whether or not adjustment of the "tilt angle relative to the horizontal plane" corresponding to the "height position of the operator's face" has been performed for all of the display device 2, non-contact sensor 3, and visor portion 6.

Mainly with reference to FIG. 6, the control for stopping the operation of the non-contact display 1 when the rainwater detection means 9 detects water droplets will be described.
In step S11, it is determined whether the rainwater detection sensor 9B of the rainwater detection means 9 detects rainwater (water droplets, snow crystals, or ice particles due to rainfall or snowfall). This determination is made by the non-contact display stop determination block 11L of the control device 11.
As a result of the determination in step S11, if the rainwater detection sensor 9B detects rainwater (water droplets or ice particles) (step S11 is "Yes"), the process proceeds to step S12; if the rainwater detection sensor 9B does not detect rainwater (water droplets or ice particles) (step S11 is "No"), the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S12 (when rainwater is detected), it is determined whether or not the water droplets, ice crystals, and ice particles (quantity, diameter) detected in step S11 may be mistaken for the movement of the operator's fingertip, i.e., whether or not a malfunction may occur. This determination is made by the non-contact display stop determination block 11L, referring to data stored in the memory block 11K (FIG. 4) of the control device 11 regarding the size (quantity, diameter) of the water droplets, ice crystals, and ice particles and the possibility of them being mistaken for the movement of the operator's fingertip (possibility of a malfunction).
As a result of the judgment in step S12, if there is a possibility that the water droplets, snow crystals, and ice particles detected by the rainwater detection sensor 9B may be mistaken for the movement of the operator's fingertip (possibility of malfunction) (step S12 is "Yes"), proceed to step S13, and if the water droplets, snow crystals, and ice particles detected by the rainwater detection sensor 9B will not be mistaken for the movement of the operator's fingertip (will not malfunction) (step S12 is "No"), proceed to step S14.

In step S13 (when there is a possibility of malfunction), the operation of the non-contact display 1 is stopped, and only operation and operation via the contact display 21 is permitted.
On the other hand, in step S14 (if step S11 or S12 is No), the operation of the non-contact display 1 is not stopped, and the state in which operation is possible using the non-contact display 1 continues.

Although not shown in the figures, in the illustrated embodiment, in order to improve the feeling of "pushing the pointer" when operating the non-contact display 1, an ultrasonic sensor can be used to add vibration to the fingertip when the pointer is pressed. In addition, when operating a stereoscopic image with a fingertip, it is possible to improve the feeling of operation (operation sensation) by changing the display on the screen, generating a sound, or changing the color of the pointer, etc.

1 to 6, the operation mechanism 20 has a non-contact display 1 for operating an image displayed in space, and the operator can perform operations related to refueling simply by operating the image displayed in space. Therefore, the operator does not need to physically touch the display (such as a normal touch panel). This makes it possible to prevent the contraction or spread of infectious diseases caused by touching a display that is touched by an unspecified number of operators.
In addition to the non-contact display 1, the operation mechanism 20 has a contact display 21 (such as a normal touch panel) that is operated by the operator's fingers in contact with it, so that even a user who feels uncomfortable operating the non-contact display 1 can perform refueling operations by using the contact display 21.

In the illustrated embodiment, the height position (vertical position) of the operator's face is determined from the image data of the camera 8, and the tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane is determined from the determined height position of the operator's face. Then, a control signal is sent to rotate the display device motor 5 forward or backward in accordance with the determined tilt angle, thereby adjusting the tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane.
In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to adjusting the tilt angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane, the tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane is also adjusted. That is, the height position (vertical position) of the operator's face is determined from the image data of the camera 8, and the tilt angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane is determined from the determined height position of the operator's face.
The inclination angle of the display device 2 with respect to the horizontal plane and the inclination angle of the non-contact sensor 3 with respect to the horizontal plane are determined and adjusted based on the height position of the operator's face, so that even if the operator is different, a clear image can always be displayed in the space between the display device 2 and the operator.

In addition, in the embodiment shown in the figure, a visor portion 6 is provided in the area above the 3D plate 4, and a visor motor 7 is provided for adjusting the inclination angle of the visor portion 6 relative to the horizontal plane, and the inclination angle of the visor portion 6 relative to the horizontal plane is calculated (automatically adjusted) based on the sunlight irradiation data on the non-contact display 1 for each date and time so that the visor portion 6 blocks sunlight.
At the same time, the height position (vertical position) of the operator's face is determined from the image data of the camera 8, and the canopy portion 6 is controlled so that the operator's view of the image of the space between the display device 2 and the operator is not obstructed from the determined height position of the operator's face.
The eaves portion 6 blocks sunlight, thereby preventing sunlight from irradiating the space between the display device 2 and the operator, and also preventing the displayed image from becoming difficult to see due to the eaves portion 6.

Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, a rainwater detection means 9 is provided, and when it is determined that rain or snow may fall on the contact display 1 and cause the non-contact display 1 to malfunction, the display on the non-contact display 1 is stopped and only operations via the contact display 21 are accepted. This prevents the non-contact display 1 from malfunctioning due to water droplets or snowflakes.

It should be noted that the illustrated embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.
For example, if the operating mechanism 20 according to the illustrated embodiment is made explosion-proof, it becomes possible to place the operating mechanism 20 in a "dangerous area" in a gas station.

1: Non-contact display 2: Display device (e.g., liquid crystal display)
3: Non-contact sensor 4: 3D plate 5: Display device motor (display device drive device)
6... Eaves section (eaves)
7... Eaves motor (eaves drive device)
8: Camera 9: Rainwater detection means (rainwater detection sensor)
10, 20: Operation mechanism 11: Control device 21: Touch display

Claims (6)

A non-contact display that operates images displayed in the space is included.
The non-contact display includes a display device that displays information necessary for operation, a non-contact sensor that detects the movement of the distance between the display device and the operator's fingertip in a non-contact manner, and a 3D plate that has a function of displaying an image in a space between the display device and the operator;
Equipped with a camera that recognizes the operator's face,
A driving device is provided for disposing an eave portion in an area above the 3D plate and adjusting an inclination angle of the eave portion with respect to a horizontal plane,
An operating mechanism characterized by having a control device having a function of determining the position of the operator's face from camera image data, a function of determining the inclination angle of the eaves portion relative to the horizontal plane from the determined position of the operator's face, and a function of transmitting a control signal to rotate forward or reverse the drive device that adjusts the inclination angle of the eaves portion in accordance with the determined inclination angle. A touch display that is touched by an operator's finger,
A non-contact display that operates images displayed in the space is included.
The non-contact display includes a display device that displays information necessary for operation, a non-contact sensor that detects the movement of the distance between the display device and the operator's fingertip in a non-contact manner, and a 3D plate that has a function of displaying an image in a space between the display device and the operator;
A rainwater detection means is provided,
An operating mechanism characterized by being provided with a control device having a function of stopping the display of the non-contact display and accepting only operations via the contact display when it is determined that there is a risk of malfunction due to rain or snow detected by the rainwater detection means . 2. The operating mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a touch display that is contactable by an operator's finger. 4. The operating mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a drive device for adjusting the inclination angle of said display device relative to a horizontal plane. The operation mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising a drive device for adjusting an inclination angle of the eaves portion relative to a horizontal plane, the drive device being arranged in an area above the 3D plate. Equipped with a camera that recognizes the operator's face,
The operating mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a control device having a function of determining the position of the operator's face from the image data of the camera, a function of determining the inclination angle of the display device relative to the horizontal plane from the determined position of the operator's face, and a function of transmitting a control signal for rotating forward or reverse the drive device that adjusts the inclination angle of the display device in accordance with the determined inclination angle .

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